Rolex Middle Sea Race, il record è salvo
AlturaMaxiRolex Middle Sea RaceVela 25 Ottobre 2010 Zerogradinord 0
Rolex Middle Sea Race – Lampedusa – A quasi due giorni dall’inizo della Rolex Middle Sea Race l’unica certezza è che il record fissato da Rambler nel 2007 – 47h 55m 3s – non verrà battuto. Esimit Europa 2, che guida la regata sin dalle battute iniziali, alle 6 di questa mattina era infatti dalle parti di Pantelleria ed è attualmente impegnato nella discesa verso Lampedusa. Un avanzare rallentato dalle condizioni di vento leggero incontrate lungo il cammino che dovrebbe portare la barca di Igor Simcic sul traguardo nel tardo pomeriggio di oggi.
Quasi 50 miglia dietro al battistrada, ICAP Leopard funge da anello di congiunzione tra il leader e il gruppo degli inseguitori. Il Maxi di Mike Slade avanza a circa 12 nodi e ha lasciato Pantelleria alle spalle verso le 9.30: “Da quando Esimit Europa 2 ci ha lasciati sul posto nello Stretto di Messina abbiamo iniziato a sperare che il dio dei venti guardasse dalla nostra parte – ha commentato da bordo l’armatore di ICAP Leopard – Purtroppo il vento è rinforzato troppo tardi e solo dopo Pantelleria abbiamo spinto la barca a oltre 20 nodi di velocità. Ora sappiamo di essere competitivi, ma non sarà facile recuperare 40 miglia sulle 200 rimanenti. Ora stiamo navigando a 19 nodi con rotta 150 gradi. L’angolo del vento vero è a 140 gradi: ideale per tenere a riva l’A1 e tentare il titto per tutto”.
Un tratto di mare più indietro, dalle parti di Favignana, Alegre ha il suo da fare per contenere l’inseguimento del VOR 70 E1 e dei TP52 Pace e Lucky. Inseguimento che a tratti si fa serrato, a tratti pare perdere in smalto e lucidità a causa del vento leggerissimo che, specie durante la notte, ha raramente superato i due-tre nodi di intensità.
Per E1, il VOR 70 ora battente bandiera russa, la notte ha portato “in dono” l’incontro ravvicinato con una nassa di pescatori. A raccontare il contrattempo è stato il navigatore John Brinkers: “La barca camminava meno di quanto ci aspettassimo ed era davvero difficile da manovrare. Questa mattina ci siamo accorti che una nassa si era presa in uno dei timoni e con essa ci stavamo portando dietro un pezzo di rete. Uno dei ragazzi del team si è offerto volontario per risolvere il problema. Abbiamo cazzato le vele a ferro e abbiamo basculato la chiglia dalla parte sbagliata. Con la barca sbandata di diversi gradi, Tosh si è calato sul timone con una drizza legata in vita e ha liberato la nassa”.
Questa la regata del gruppo di testa, composto dagli scafi più veloci. Per molti dei piccoli, invece, il sogno della Rolex Middle Sea Race sta pian piano svanendo. Sono in diversi infatti gli equipaggi che, dopo ore passate a inseguire le raffiche ed essere giunti solo dalle parti dello Stretto di Messina, stanno valutando l’idea di ritirarsi. Tra gli ultimi a chiamarsi fuori dai giochi il 45 piedi Comrade, bloccato da problemi al timone, e il 40 piedi Bonito.
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ROLEX MIDDLE SEA RACE, MORNING UPDATE
[Regattanews Press Release] Nearly 48 hours into the Rolex Middle Sea Race, and it’s clear that the record set in 2007 by George David’s Rambler – 47h, 55m, 3s – will remain intact for at least another year.
The current race leader, Esimit Europa 2, passed Pantelleria at 06.00 this morning, currently nearing Lampedusa, and is expected to finish in the early evening tonight. Approximately 45 nautical miles astern is the maxi ICAP Leopard, which rounded Pantelleria at 09.30 doing 12.8 knots and is desperately trying to narrow the gap. But the lighter northwesterly breeze – around 10-15 knots – was more suited to the Slovenian maxi.
Mike Slade, owner of Leopard, emailed in, “What a merry dance Esimit Europa is leading us. Since she got the jump on us in the Strait (of Messina) and extended across the top of Sicily, we have been waiting for the wind gods to shine on us. Sadly, all too late we pick up 15 knots of breeze as we come past Pantelleria and we have just touched 20 knots of boat speed as we head down for Lampedusa. Can we pull back a 40-mile lead in the remaining 200 miles? A big ask! All good on board, we have just had garlic sausage for breakfast (remind me to sack the chef). Our current heading is 150 degrees and wind speed is 19 knots with TWA 140 carrying our big A1 kite”.
Further back, at the island of Favignana, is the mini-maxi Alegre. Will Best, navigator onboard emailed last night: “It has been a really tricky race so far, not all of our pre-race strategy has quite gone to plan. We were caught out on the wrong side of a cloud leading up to Messina which is where we lost touch with the 100 footers, and since then we’ve been focusing on staying ahead of the forever closing pack of E1 and the TP52’s who are having a great race. Spirits onboard are all good, at the moment we are just getting through the lee of Alicudi just a few miles ahead of E1 and Pace. We haven’t anything to loose now by trimming a few corners and hope this light southerly gets us to Trapani in time for the front that’s forecast for our fast finish.”
John Brinkers, watch leader on the Volvo 70, E1 also reported in last night: “So here we are drifting along the north coast of Sicily. Its 11pm Sunday night and we’re drifting along in less than two knots of wind just off Isole Eolie. The other watch is trying to coax the light asymmetric along, making sure it stays filled. It’s a pretty mundane job when all you’ve got to look forward to is 1.5 knots of boatspeed; a far cry from this morning when we were blasting along at 22 knots. The forecast is for the breeze to eventually fill in from the west, so we are trying to get there as fast as we can.”
Just after 10.00 this morning, a further update came in from Brinkers, “Well, what a night. We were totally becalmed a few times and then eventually got going but the regular crew were complaining about a lack of speed and I must say the boat felt totally wrong when driving it. Eventually this morning we had a good look over the side and saw the cause of the problem, a fisherman’s buoy wrapped around the rudder with a stack of net hanging off it. Our Slovenian crew Tosh volunteered to hang off a halyard, and with the upwind sails sheeted on in 15 knots, and swing keel fully canted out the wrong way (to leeward) the boat laid on its side in irons. It allowed Tosh to ‘walk’ down to the rudder and clear the debris. What a hero!
“With him back on board and us back on the pace we are once again in pursuit of Alegre, about 10miles ahead. It’s a shame having had that buoy hanging off the rudder, we’re started having speed problem at nightfall, so it was there all night!”
At the Stromboli checkpoint, it was going to the wire in Class Three. Sonke Stein’s J-133, Juno was leading, but only just, four minutes ahead of Jaru and Argo from Malta and Italy respectively, who are inseparable on corrected time.
Stein said, “Although Juno is registered in Hamburg, she is based in Malta. This is my first Rolex Middle Sea Race with the boat, but personally this is my ninth race. The crew is mainly Maltese and has done the race many times. We hope to win, but the competition is very strong, we are looking forward to more exciting conditions ahead and above all to enjoy quality time with good friends.”
Nisida, racing in Class Two, reported in 50 miles west of Stromboli. The 52-foot Bill Lee-designed light displacement yacht is crewed by members of the London Corinthian Sailing Club who travel all over world to compete in races, which have included nine Rolex Fastnet Races.
Crew member Hillary Cook emailed, “North of Sicily it feels like we have sailed into a different climate zone. Gone from deck is the stash of sun cream and water bottles, to be replaced by thermals, oilskins and pleas for cups of hot tea. Porridge for breakfast this morning was very welcome after a challenging night, battling heavy rain and a wind which refused to make up its mind whether it was still southeasterly or the promised westerly, and at times settled for being zero.
“After we resorted to hoisting our spinnaker it finally did decide on being the westerly and we are now beating our way towards the half way point, hoping for some enjoyable surfing conditions once we make it round Favignana. But as ever with this race, it’s great fun!’
The 45-footer Comrade turned back at Stromboli, retiring at 07.30 with rudder problems and was heading to Messina to effect repairs; at 09.00, the Dufour 40, Bonito retired and was also heading to Messina.
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